This disclosure is generally directed to toner processes, and more specifically, emulsion aggregation and coalescence processes, as well as toner compositions formed by such processes and development processes using such toners for use with Xerographic copying or printing engine comprised of a cold pressure fixing device.
Emulsion aggregation/coalescing processes for the preparation of toners are illustrated in a number of patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,290,654, 5,278,020, 5,308,734, 5,370,963, 5,344,738, 5,403,693, 5,418,108, 5,364,729, and 5,346,797; and also of interest may be U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,348,832; 5,405,728; 5,366,841; 5,496,676; 5,527,658; 5,585,215; 5,650,255; 5,650,256 5,501,935; 5,723,253; 5,744,520; 5,763,133; 5,766,818; 5,747,215; 5,827,633; 5,853,944; 5,804,349; 5,840,462; 5,869,215; 5,863,698; 5,902,710; 5,910,387; 5,916,725; 5,919,595; 5,925,488 and 5,977,210. Other patents disclosing exemplary emulsion aggregation/coalescing processes include, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,730,450, 6,743,559, 6,756,176, 6,780,500, 6,830,860, and 7,029,817.
In a number of electrophotographic engines and processes, toner images may be applied to substrates. The toners may then be fused to the substrate by heating the toner with a contact fuser or a non-contact fuser, wherein the transferred heat melts the toner mixture onto the substrate. These toner resins may be designed with viscoelastic properties such as to not offset during fusing when they become molten within the fuser rolls.
Another method for fusing toners to substrates includes cold fusing, sometimes referred to herein, in embodiments, as cold pressure fusing or cold fixing. While such systems may have lower energy requirements, they often are utilized with systems operating at a lower speed and thus produce prints at a lower volume and/or rate at volume 200 prints per minute.
Improved toners that are fixed to paper with cold fusing thus remain desirable.